APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR PRODUCING A POWER CHAIN

Abstract

The present invention relates to an apparatus for producing a power transmission chain with a cable set consisting of a line bundle of individual lines, with a receiving device with a receiving spindle for receiving a power chain, wherein the receiving spindle extends along an axis (A), and a carriage, which can be moved to and fro and has a clamping device for fixing the cable set, wherein the receiving device has at least one clamping device for fixing an end portion of the cable set, and the receiving spindle is mounted such that it can be rotated about its axis (A), wherein a fixing device for securing the line bundle is arranged between the receiving device and the carriage.

Claims

1. An apparatus for producing a power transmission chain with a cable set consisting of a line bundle of individual lines, with a receiving device with a receiving spindle for receiving a power chain, wherein the receiving spindle extends along an axis (A), and a carriage, which can be moved to and fro and has a clamping device for fixing the cable set, wherein the receiving device has at least one clamping device for fixing an end portion of the cable set, and the receiving spindle is mounted such that it can be rotated about its axis (A), wherein a fixing device for securing the line bundle is arranged between the receiving device and the carriage.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a rotational drive is connected with the receiving spindle in such a way that it can rotate the receiving spindle about its axis (A).

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the carriage is arranged in such a way that it can be moved to and fro in the direction of the axis (A).

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the fixing device is provided as a ring element with at least one opening, but preferably two openings (61a, 61b), for receiving the line bundle.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the ring element can be actuated from a closed position into an open position and vice versa, to insert a line bundle or, respectively, to withdraw the same.

6. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the ring element comprises a locking bar, which separates the opening in the ring element into two partial openings (61a, 61b), so that a portion of the lines of the line bundle can be received in each of the two partial openings (61a, 61b).

7. A method for producing a power transmission chain with a cable set consisting of a line bundle of individual lines, using an apparatus according to claim 1, comprising the following steps: a. mounting a power chain onto the receiving spindle of the receiving device; b. fixing an end portion of a cable set consisting of a line bundle of a multitude of individual lines in the clamping device of the receiving spindle; c. fixing the cable set in the clamping device of the carriage at a section a distance away from the end portion; d. inserting the line bundle into the fixing device (60); e. rotating the receiving spindle together with the power chain about the axis (A) to twist the line bundle; and f. sliding the power chain over the twisted section of the line bundle.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the entire power chain is slid over the line bundle and that the end portion protrudes from the respective other end of the power chain.

9. The method according to claim 7, wherein the carriage is moved during the twisting of the line bundle in step e) by the distance necessary to compensate for the difference in length of the line bundle that results from its being twisted.

10. The method according to claim 7, wherein a ring element with an opening is used as the fixing device, which is equipped with a locking bar penetrating the opening, which separates the opening in the ring element into two partial openings (61a, 61b), wherein a first portion of the lines of the line bundle is received in the first of the two partial openings (61a, 61b) and a second portion of the lines of the line bundle in the second.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0031] Other advantageous embodiments of the invention are characterized in the dependent claims and/or are explained in more detail below in the description of the preferred embodiment of the invention with reference to the figures.

Wherein:

[0032] FIG. 1 an exemplary embodiment of an apparatus according to the invention for producing a power transmission chain;

[0033] FIG. 2 an exemplary representation of a cable set with connectors attached to the end portions;

[0034] FIG. 3 an exemplary representation of a power transmission chain for use in production with the apparatus according to FIG. 1;

[0035] FIG. 4 an exemplary embodiment of a fixing device designed as a ring-shaped locking bar;

[0036] FIG. 4a the fixing device from FIG. 4, which engages with the line bundle of the cable set from FIG. 2 via its locking bar; and

[0037] FIG. 5 the exemplary embodiment according to FIG. 1 with a mounted cable set from FIG. 2 and a power transmission chain according to FIG. 3.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0038] The invention is described in more detail in the following sections, using an exemplary and diagrammed embodiment with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5. Identical reference symbols in the figures indicate identical or similar functional or structural characteristics.

[0039] FIG. 1 shows an apparatus 1 for producing a power transmission chain 30 with a cable set 40 consisting of a line bundle 41 of individual lines 42 (as explained in more detail in FIG. 2). Apparatus 1 comprises a receiving device 10 to receive the power transmission chain 30. For this purpose, the receiving device 10 is equipped with a receiving spindle 11, which is mounted on a bracket 12 of the receiving device 10 such that it can rotate.

[0040] The rotating receiving spindle 11 comprises a rotational and longitudinal axis A, and the free end of the spindle extends in the direction of the longitudinal axis A such that it can receive a power transmission chain 30.

[0041] Furthermore, the apparatus 1 comprises a carriage 50, which can move to and fro on a bearing device 53. The carriage 50 is equipped with a clamping device 51 for fixing the cable set 40, as seen in the example shown in FIG. 2. The cable set 40 consists of a line bundle 41 of insulated individual lines 42. Other combinations of lines combined in a cable set also are conceivable, insofar as these can be stranded. In the present exemplary embodiment, an end portion 44 of the line bundle 41 is wrapped with tape. This is followed by a section 45, in which the individual lines are freely accessible. This section 45 is followed by a further section 46, which also is wrapped with tape in the present example. At the ends of the lines, connectors 47 are attached to the lines as an example, or the ends could be equipped with contact terminals.

[0042] The carriage 50, which can move to and fro, is arranged to move in the direction of axis A such that it moves, or can be moved, during the twisting of the line bundle 41 (which will be described in more detail in the following) by the distance that is necessary to compensate for the difference in length of the line bundle 41 that results from its being twisted. The effective line bundle length naturally decreases while the bundle is progressively twisted during the stranding process, that is, with decreasing lay length. To accommodate this circumstance, the clamping device 51 for the cable set 40 is movable with the carriage 50. Further brackets 52 are provided to secure the cable set 40 or its wiring harnesses to the carriage. A movable arrangement of the bracket itself also is conceivable to compensate for the difference in length.

[0043] The receiving device 10 furthermore includes a clamping device 15 for fixing the end portion 44 of the cable set 40. The clamping device 15 protrudes into the box-shaped receiving space of the receiving spindle 11. Cable set 40 can be clamped and fixed to a defined position with this device. The receiving spindle 11 is designed as a spindle with a rectangular cross-section in the present example, and its cross-section shape corresponds to the cross-section of the opening and the shape of the power transmission chain 30, which is to be produced. Therefore, when the power transmission chain 30 is slid onto the receiving spindle 11, it can only rotate together with the spindle about its axis A.

[0044] As can be seen in FIGS. 1 and 5, a fixing device 60 is located between the receiving device 10 and the carriage 50, which is arranged to lock the line bundle 41 into a position approximately in the extension of the axis A. The fixing device 60 and its mode of operation are shown in more detail in FIGS. 4 and 4a. The exemplary embodiment of the fixing device 60 is designed as a ring-shaped spindle device consisting of two half-shells, 60a and 60b, which are connected to each other in a detachable manner. The ring element 60, which is designed as a fixing device, comprises a spindle 61, which extends from approximately the center of one interior wall to the opposite interior wall, and which separates the originally cylinder-shaped opening of the ring element 60 into two partial openings, 61a and 61b, for receiving the line bundle 41. By rotating the ring element and thereby rotating the line bundle 41 relative to the spindle 61 about the stranding axis V shown in FIG. 4b, the individual lines 42 of the line bundle 41 are twisted around each other. If the spindle 61 is inserted into the line bundle 41 in a position approximately centered on the two clamping devices 15 and 51, and if the previously opened ring element is then closed again, a lay length of approximately 50% of the twisted length is achieved, as in the example shown in FIG. 4b.

[0045] As described previously, the ring element 60 can be actuated from a closed position into an open position and vice versa to insert or withdraw a line bundle 41. It is preferred that the spindle 61 slides between the walls of the ring element 60 so far as to give the spindle 61 sufficient stability.

[0046] FIG. 5 shows the use of the apparatus in a representation of its basic principles. As previously explained, the rotational drive 14 is connected with the receiving spindle 11 in such a way that it rotates the receiving spindle 11 about its axis A and thereby performs the desired stranding.

[0047] This process is executed as follows. First, a power chain 30 is mounted to the receiving spindle 11 of the receiving device 10 by sliding it onto the spindle.

[0048] Then the end portion 44 of a cable set 40, consisting of a line bundle 41 of a multitude of individual lines 42, which is to be mounted, is clamped into the clamping device 15 of the receiving spindle 11.

[0049] Furthermore, the cable set 40 is locked into the clamping device 51 of the carriage 50 at its section 46, as diagrammed in FIG. 5. Then, the individual lines 42 of the line bundle 41 are inserted into the previously opened fixing device 60 such that the spindle separates the line bundle 41 into two partial bundles (see FIG. 4b).

[0050] Rotating the receiving spindle 11 relative to the spindle 61 results in the twisting of the line bundle 41. After the stranding process has been completed, the power chain 30 is slid over the twisted section of the line bundle 41 until the end portion 44 of the line bundle 41 emerges from the respective other end of the power chain 30, or until it reaches a position that can be captured by the sensors 13. Furthermore, additional sensors 13 can be provided to monitor other cable positions and/or to capture their correct position. After cable set 40 is mounted in the power chain 30, its position is locked with suitable fixing devices. In one cost-efficient variant, this fixing process is performed via cable ties to the power chain.

[0051] Furthermore, a splitting device 70 for splitting a cable set or parts thereof can be provided on the apparatus 1.

[0052] The invention is not limited in its embodiments to the preferred exemplary embodiments listed above. Rather, a multitude of variants is conceivable which make use of the represented solution, even in embodiments of fundamentally different types.